Clark's Speech
by Excel Aunt
Summary: Clark Kent on Chloe Sullivan during Chloe's funeral. Season 7 - Fracture. One shot.


Author Notes: I wrote this a few days after "Fractured" aired: My follow up story is The Sun and the Moon.

I changed how Clark and Chloe meet for the first time. I wanted to give Clark and Chloe the summer to get to know each other better between 7th and 8th grade. There's really not much difference between the end of 7th grade and beginning of 8th. I acknowledge this is different that what Clark tells Lana in "Obscura".

This is strictly dialog for what Clark would say about Chloe at her funeral.

I just reread this and still, I get tears at the end. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

"Hello," Clark said, to clear his throat

"I know that Chloe would be surprised to see so many people here today. I don't think she ever understood how her smile could light up all our hearts.

"I first met Chloe at the very end of 7th grade. Her father Gabriel had recently moved to Smallville, and rented the Warner's house, which is couple miles away my house.

"We were neighbors, so Mom made some pies and had me deliver them. Gabe took the pies and Chloe popped into sight from behind the refrigerator.

"Now, Chloe's always been pretty high energy. Today when I look back, I have a feeling Gabe couldn't wait to pawn Chloe off on me.

"Gabe quickly introduced us and while he put away the pies, Chloe started to ask me questions, and I don't think she ever stopped.

"She wanted to know what the school was like in Smallville, and what classes were offered, if the school had a newspaper, and what Smallville looked like. So not really knowing how to talk to Chloe, I just, sort of took her to places around Smallville.

"I took her up and down Main Street, sharing with her all I knew. I told her about the meteor-shower in 1989 as I walked her to the junior high. Principal White's car was there, so I knew the doors would be unlocked. I showed her around the school she'd attend. Chloe had already completed seventh grade, so there was no point in her attending the last week of session.

"She wanted to see every room in the school: And she wanted to know what I thought of the teachers. She asked me about the kids there and what they wore. She told me that her school in Metropolis had placed her in advance composition and she was going to report for their newspaper. But then she had to come here.

"So, I took Chloe to the principal's office and she negotiated her way on the staff of _The Torch_, the high school newspaper.

"On the way out of school, Chloe grabbed my hand and said, 'Clark, where can I find a Daily Planet?' I'm going to be a reporter there someday and I need to stay in touch with civilization.'

"Now, I'm a thirteen-year-old boy, shorter than Chloe, and shy of girls, but the way she held my hand, relying on me, was more than enough to feel like a hero. I discovered something about myself. I really liked helping people out. And I liked being Chloe's hero.

"My freshman year I joined the staff of _The Torch _too. At first, I wasn't that interested in journalism. But Chloe was now the editor, so I and our friend Pete went on staff and I can't say it wasn't fun. Chloe was into truth and justice and I knew I could help.

"Chloe was a successful journalist because she had a way with people. She managed to secure amazing contacts in high school. She knew people all over Lowell County, Kansas, and the United States. She loved meeting people and getting to know their story. She had a lot of friends, and her email list was staggering.

"She was a talented writer, as well as driven: She was the youngest intern ever at the _Daily Planet_. Her articles in _The Torch, _centered on a very real disease in Lowell County, previously ignored. She endured the ridicule of disbelief. Never complaining, but acknowledging that sometimes it was necessary to be criticized to earn your press pass.

"Chloe's insights exposed truths we learn today. Without her, would we know about the dangers of meteor-rocks? It took someone without a reputation to speak out, as every professional we encountered would not go on record or lacked creditability. Yet, she managed to take a topic that was 'off the record', and put it in the limelight. And I helped her with that. Together, we were a team.

"It was during this time, when she got her internships that her curiosity also pushed against me. There were things I could not share with Chloe. Chloe does not like feeling alienated. It was a very sore point between us, the fact that I kept things from her. Why? Because I'm a fifteen year old guy, getting taller by the day, and I like Chloe a lot, but I'm not sure if I should stay friends, because I'm gonna hold her back. I don't want to be her excuse. She's going places faster than me.

"We fought a lot during this time. The worse fight we had was when I ran away from home and lived in Metropolis.

"Some of you might remember, because you helped my parents search for me, but I'm good at not being found if that's what I want.

"It was Chloe that found me. I told her she got lucky, but that wasn't completely true. I had let it happen.

"She was working at the _Daily Planet_ and some colleagues and old friends from Metropolis High took her to a night club. I was there and saw her before she saw me. I could have disappeared, but I decided I didn't care.

"I let her see me and I pretended not to notice.

"Twenty minutes later, I left the club and walked to my apartment. Chloe was knocking at my door within five.

"I stepped out of the apartment and dragged her into the elevator, I was really, really angry with her. Because she still cared about me.

"'What are you doing here?' I yelled.

"Chloe slapped my hand off her arm and asked me point black, 'What's wrong with you? What happened?'

"And I couldn't explain.

"'You've got to give me something Clark.' Chloe said. 'Skip the details if you must.'

"'I told her I was a monster and better off gone.'

"'I don't believe you're a monster Clark,' Chloe said, 'I know who you are. Come home.'

"'Chloe, if you tell anyone where I am, I'll go some place where I no one can find me, ever.' I threatened. She left. Determined to shake her, I yelled that I never wanted to see anyone from Smallville again. And she yelled back, 'Clark, I'm not from Smallville, I'm from Metropolis.'

"And of course she was right. I knew eventually she would come back. It took a little time, but she helped me come home. She paved that road. I appreciated what she had done and I owed her an apology. To my surprise, she forgave me, without any fuss.

"'Why do you stand by me when I give you no reason to?'

"'We're friends Clark. That's what friends do.'

"Now, I'm a sixteen-year kid, and I'm a foot taller than Chloe, but in that moment, she's my tower, and I trembled. She had no business forgiving me, but she did anyway.

"I gave Chloe the details of my life after high school graduation. Chloe had long since earned my trust, but this was something else. I never had 100 percent confidence that any one human would feel the same way about me once they understood. With Chloe, I was fairly certain that things would work out, should she learn, but that tiny doubt inside of me overruled my reasoning.

"Much of it she had guessed already. But she decided that she wanted me to come to her with my secrets. She wanted me to choose her. So she patiently waited.

"Now, I knew something had been churning inside Chloe. She had some idea, but I wasn't sure what it was. We had been playing poker face for a while. I'm not exactly sure when it started, but she'd drop these anvil sized hints and I'd ignore them as best I could. It really started to get out of hand towards the end and Chloe and I often joked about those days.

"But when my moment to open up came, I decided to bring Chloe into my entire confidence. We had, perhaps our most important conversation ever. In a heartbeat, I knew. I had chosen her to trust. I just, you know, wasn't quite sure how to tell her. I was so afraid. But it was Chloe that reassured me as she confessed what she already knew.

"This time, I reached for her hand, relying on her in a brand new way.

"Now, I'm an eighteen-year old man, much taller than Chloe, and I've got 70 pounds on her, but she could have crushed me into a million pieces had things gone badly. Instead, she tells me how amazing I am and for the first time, I am happy to be me.

"Chloe Sullivan shaped my life in a way I didn't expect. For the next three years, our lives became impossibly intertwined. Our friends could see we had real intimacy, but I assure you, it was not based on sex, but trust. We gave each other some remarkable latitude. We were free to love and respect each other as friends, and we were also free to explore romance with other people.

"And I don't blame you for questioning our hearts. What we shared was truly unique. I don't expect you to believe me, unless you've had a similar experience. We knew each other despite of our genders, not because of them.

"The fact was, Chloe made it easier for me to be me. I had shown Chloe all my faults over time and she still thought I was worth something. How can you not like a woman that loves you warts and all?

"Our relationship was complete trust and openness for the longest time.

"A year ago Chloe and I discovered she was sick. She had a meteor-infection, just like all those she reported on while in high school. She was afraid of going crazy, or killing someone, or dying. So afraid, that she couldn't even talk to me about it. That was really strange from my point-of-view. So I tried my best to be patient, like she was patient with me. But I understood why she shared the barest details with me, as the disease progressed.

"It was her attempt to lessen my pain, because Chloe knew I couldn't save her from whatever would happen. I couldn't play the part of hero this time and she was saving me from that despair by not asking me to.

"She did this, because she loved me. She did not want me to hang onto her. She knew the writing on the wall before I did. She knew me and that I would not be able to give her up when the time came. Today, I see her hand guiding me away from her. She lived her last months not thinking about herself but about me. Worrying for my sake, and not hers.

"Chloe died a few days ago, and I'm not really sure who to confide in now, but I don't think I need anyone else. Because Chloe…

"You're the thirteen-year girl that reached for my hand.

"You're the fifteen-year old journalist making a name for yourself at _The Torch_.

"You're the sixteen-year old rebel darning me to come home.

"You're the eighteen-year old woman that I trust completely.

"You're my twenty-one year old friend that loves me more than yourself.

"I know who you are Chloe. You're part of me."


End file.
